According to print media standards, the Metrics of Circulation determines the participation of local clients and Retail Brands of a particular market. So, Any Newspaper with larger circulation enjoys the benefit of commanding better rates due to the patronage of Regional Advertisers.
DB Corp is in cloud nine as their Hindi Newspaper Dainik Bhaskar daily has emerged as the leader in the Circulation chartof ABC Jan – June 2018 with 4251236 copies (without accounting the circulation of Gaya and Patna), toppling the leadership of its competitor Dainik Jagran(4144706 copies).
Vinay Maheshwari, Senior Vice President SMD and Brand Marketing –DainikBhaskar Group shared the success strategy of DB Corp and the growth story of Print Media on an Exclusive Chat with TVNews4U.Com’s StraightTalk:
Excerpts:
1) Does the Outlook of ABC Jan-Jun 2018 affirm the sentiment that Print is still growing comfortably? To what extent..?
Yes. India is one of the few countries globally where Print continues to thrive, showing decent growth year on year for players offering relevant contents. As per ABC, DainikBhaskar has grown by 19.5% in last four years (35.6 lac copies in JJ’14 and 42.5 lac copies in JJ’18). As a leader we are committed to grow the category.
2) DainikBhaskar has surpassed the circulation of its rival DainikJagran comfortably with 10+% margins, how was this possible..?
We attribute this handsome growth to our excellent ground connect and ability to adapt to changing needs of the readers.
We have a hugely successful survey model wherein we physically reach out to the potential readers. Our signature twin knock model has given us huge circulation gains market after market. In Bihar, for example, we reached out to 7 lac households in 534 blocks in 38 districts, in just 6 months, propelling us to No-2 position.
We have a structured research mechanism in place which helps us understand changing needs of the reader. Local and Regional news have great attraction for the reader. With more than 300 bureaus in the country we have the necessary strength and resource to give the best of local/national news. We have, for example, 34 local pullouts in MP, 51 in Rajasthan and 26 in Gujarat exclusively for local news.
We also run various reader engagement drives like Jee to 15 Crore which help engage existing readers as well as acquire new readers. In the last edition of one such drive, we had a participation of 1.5 million readers. Our drives like Junior Editor and Little Chanakya targeted towards students aims to inculcate the habit of reading newspaper in this segment.
3) The Numbers are up to June 2018, Do you think Dainik Bhaskar would have grown even further as on date due to the concluded state elections…?
Because of its local flavor, newspapers attract lot of eyeballs during elections. And these elections would have been no different. Seen as semi finals to the 2019 elections, the MP, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh elections generated lot of interests. Our circulation has further grown during this period.
4) Do you have plans to revise your ad rates based on the leadership position that you have achieved..?
Given the ever-growing massive daily reach and penetration of our publications, we do expect to get the fair share of ad revenues. However, it is easier said than done. There are several market dynamics that need to be considered before we take the call on ad rates.
5) Which are the major Advertiser Segments that are largely benefiting out of Print Media in Hindi Heartland…?
A newspaper’s major strength is its glocal focus. So it is an attractive medium to advertise for Real Estate, Education, FMCG, Automobiles and lifestyle clients. Increasingly, e-commerce and other growing industries are also newspapers to drive tactical and strategic objectives.
6) Major Publishers in Europe are demanding revenue share from Google for Publishing their news in the search engine, Do you think Indian Publishers should toe the line..?
With more than 3000 reporters and more than 300 bureaus we have the largest news network in the country. Similar would be the case with most big publishing houses. So while Google smartly monetizes its content, it is only fair to say that it is high time that they start sharing a decent share of it with publishing houses.
7) Do you think Industry should collaborate towards Common Printing infrastructures and joint industry body of publishers to negotiate with News Print suppliers for better bargain and cost optimisation..?
Yes. Given the challenges and opportunities which newspaper industry is facing as a whole for in terms of raw material cost and additional printing capacities, collaboration may serve as the way forward.
